Extensible post or prop.



PATENTED SEPT. 1, 1908.

R. H. MGGOMBE.

EXTENSIBLE POST OR PROP.

APPLICATION FILED DEOJO, 1907.

UNITED sTAr s PATENT, OFFICE.

RICHARD, H. McOOMBE, ()F WAVERLY, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TOALBERT KUERT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AND ONE-HA Ll TO ANNA. E.MoCOM BE, 0F

WAVERLY, MARYLAND.

EXTENSIBLE POST OR PROP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1, 1908.

Application filed December 10, 1907. Serial No. 405,973.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD H. M CCOMBE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Waverly, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland,have invented new and useful Improvements in Extensible Posts or Props,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an extensible post or prop which. is admirablyadapted for clothes lines, although it is not necessarily limited tothis use.

The invention has for one of its objects to improve and simplify theconstruction of devices of this character so as to be comparatively easyand inex ensive to manufacture, readily operated, an composed of fewparts.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a post or propcomposed of telescopic sections with means for extending the movablesection and locking the same in any desired position.

Another object is to provide a post in which the extensible section isequipped with a rack with which meshes a pinion supported on the fixedsection, there being an operating crank for turning the pinion toproject the extensible section, and cooperating with the pinion is aspring-pressed pawl for holding the said section in projected position.

With these objects in view and others, as will appear as the descriptionproceeds, the invention comprises the various novel features ofconstruction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully describedhere inafter and set forth with particularity in the claims appendedhereto.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one of the embodiments ofthe invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation ofthe de vice. Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal section of the device showing the extensiblemember in elevation. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3 3, Fig. 2.

. Similar reference characters are employed to designate correspondingparts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing, A designates the lower section or member ofthe prop or post which may rest at its lower end on the ground in casethe prop is to be portable, or it may be planted in the ground when theprop is to be stationary. The member A is tubular and has at its upperend a cap 1 threaded return the section B.

therein which constitutes a guide for the extensible or movable sectionB. The lower end of the section B has a peripheral flange 2 that isprovided with radial notches 3 in which are disposed anti-frictionrollers 4 that turn on pivots 5, the said rollers being arranged incontact with the internal surface of the section A so that theextensible section can be freely moved. The upper or outer end of thesection Bis provided with a cap or fitting 6 which may be removablysecured to the said section and is provided with a spiral hook 7 or anyother suitable fastening into which the clothes line is engaged.

In the resent instance, the. means for raising and owering the section Bcomprises a rack 8 secured to and extending longitudinally of thesection B, and meshing with the rack is a pinion 9 contained in ahousing 10 formed on the section A. The cap has a slot 11 to accommodatethe rack 8 and projecting laterally from the upper end of the rack is alug 12 for preventing the inner section B from dropping completelyintothe section A. Pivoted at 13 in the housing 10 .is a pawl 14 that ispressed by a spring 15 into operative relation with the pinion so as toprevent the latter from turning under the weight of the section B andtension of the clothes line, and on the pawl is a finger piece 16 thatpasses upwardly through a slot 17 in the housing for permitting the pawlto he released from the pinion when it is desired to The shaft.18 of thepinion extends out of the housing 10 and has a squared end 19 to whichis fitted a crank 20. In practice, the clothes line is engaged in thehook 7 and when the clothes have been pinned to the line, the latter canbe raised to the desired osition by merely turning the crank 20.n-turning the crank, the pinion 9 turns in a clockwise position, Fig. 2,and the pawl 14 yields under theaction of the teeth of the pinion. Assoon as the crank is stopped, the pawl will engage the pinion andprevent the latter from turning in a reverse direction, thus supportingthesection B in raised position. When it is desired to contract the postor prop, the finger piece 16 is pressed inwardly toward the post so asto raise the engaging end of the pawl out of the path of the pinionteeth. This will permit the section B to dro of its own weight until thelug 12 engages t 10 cap of the member A.

pinion on the (intersection to engage the From the foregoingdeseription, taken in ronneetion with the aerompanying drawing, the:ulvantages of the eonstriwtion and of the method of operation will bereadily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the inventionappertains, and while I have/ deseribed the principle of operation ofthe invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider. to bethe best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that theapparatus shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may bemade when. desired as are within the seope ol' the claims.

Having thus deseribed the invention, what l ('lilinl is:---

1. In a prop, the combination of a tubular outer seetion, a rapreinovably secured in the upper end thereot, an inner section passingthrough the eap and guided by the latter, a

)eriplieral flange on the lower end of the mner seetion and providedwith radial slots, rollers mounted in the slots and engaging theinternal surl'aee of the outer se'etion for eooperating with the saideollar for guiding the movement ol'- the inner section, alongitudinally-extending rack on the inner seetion, a

said peripheral flange for limiting the upward movement of the innersection, and

means for actuating the pinion. I

I 2. In a prop, the eomlnnation of a tubular seetion, a cap thereforhaving a slot, an inner section guided by the cap, a rack on the innersection and passing through the slot and serving to prevent relativeturning of the seetions, a laterally-projeeting lug at the up wr end ofthe raek for engaging the cap to limit the inward IHOYOIIIOHtOf theinner seetion, a housing on the tubular seetion, a pinion in the"housing a erank l'or turning the pinion, a spring-pressed pawl forengaging the pinion to prevent the inner section from moving inwardlyunder its own weight, and a finger pieee extending out of the housingand eonneeled with the pawl for releasing the latter to permit the innerseetion to drop under its own weight.

in testimony whereol' '11 allix my signatur in present-e of twowitnesses.

RHHARH ll. Mr-UOMBE.

Witnesses:

F. 11. Moirrnu'nu, J12, ANNIE E. Monrriimn.

